Be internet awesome

Worksheet: Lesson 3

From negative to nice

Read the comments below. After each comment, discuss:
1. How could you have said the same or something similar in more positive and constructive ways?
2. I f one of your classmates made comments like these, how could you respond in a way that would make the

conversation more positive?

Use the spaces below each comment to write down ideas.

LOL Connor is the only one in class not Everybody wear purple tomorrow but
going on the camping trip this weekend. don’t tell Lilly.

Sorry I don’t think you can come to my party. No offense but your handwriting is a mess so you
It’ll cost too much money. should probably switch groups for this project.

This makes me cringe—who told her You can only join our group if you
she can sing?? give me the login to your account.

Am I the only one who thinks Shanna 101
looks kinda like a little green alien?

It’s Cool to Be Kind

Itʼs Cool to Be Kind: Lesson 4

About your tone

Students interpret the emotions behind text messages to practice thinking critically and avoiding misinterpretation
and conflict in online exchanges.

Goals for students ✓  M ake good decisions when choosing how and what to communicate—and
whether to communicate at all.

✓  I dentify situations when it’s better to wait to communicate face‑to‑face with
a peer than to text them right away.

Letʼs talk Itʼs easy to misunderstand
People use different types of communication for different kinds of interaction, but
Activity messages sent via chat and text can be interpreted differently than they would in
person or over the phone.
Materials needed: • H ave you ever been misunderstood when texting? For example, have you ever texted
• S ample text messages
a joke and your friend thought you were being serious—or even mean?
written on the board • H ave you ever misunderstood someone else in a text or chat? What did you do to help
or projected
clarify the communication? What could you do differently?
Takeaway
1. Review messages
Letʼs take a look at these sample text messages on the board. The class probably has
great examples too, so let’s write some on the board for us to discuss.
• “ Thatʼs so cool”
• “Whatever”
• “ Iʼm so mad at you”
• “ CALL ME NOW”
• “ Kk fine”

2. Read messages out loud
Now, for each message, weʼre going to ask one person to read it aloud in a specific
tone of voice (e.g., angry, sarcastic, friendly).

What do you notice? How might these come across to other people? How might each
“message sender” better communicate what they really mean?

It can be hard to understand how someone is really feeling when they’re reading a text.
Be sure you choose the right tool for your next communication—and try not to read
too much into things people say to you online. If you’re unsure what the other person
meant, find out by talking with them in person or on the phone.

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Itʼs Cool to Be Kind: Lesson 5

How words can change the whole picture

Media literacy background for teachers: This lesson lays a foundation for elementary grade students by asking them
to grapple with simple captions about individual people. In developmentally appropriate ways, this lesson covers these
media literacy concepts and questions:
1. K nowing that all media are “constructed”—made by people who make choices about what to include and how to

present it.
2. R outinely asking “Who made this and why?”
3. R outinely reflecting on the media we create by asking: “How might this message affect others?”

Goals for students ✓  L earn that we make meaning from the combination of pictures and words.
✓  U nderstand how a caption can change what we think a picture is communicating.
✓ B egin to see the power of your words, especially when combined with pictures

you post.
✓  U nderstand how to be a responsible media maker.
✓ D evelop the habit of asking, “Who posted this and why?”

Letʼs talk How can words change a picture?!
Pictures combined with words are a powerful way to communicate. Imagine a news
photo of a house on fire. One caption says “Family loses house but everyone gets out
safely, including the dog.” That would be sad, and maybe a little scary, right? But what
if the caption said, “Firefighters set empty house on fire so they could practice using
new firefighting tools.” You’re still looking at a house on fire, but you have a very
different idea about what’s happening. You might even feel safe instead of scared.

Activity Divide the class into small groups. Without revealing to students that you’re handing out
two different versions, give half the groups the handout with the positive caption and the
Materials needed: other half the one with the negative caption.
• See following page
1. Pictures + words
Take a look at the image. With your group, describe the person in the picture. What sort
of person do you think they are? Do you think you’d like to spend time with them or be
their teammate? Why or why not?

The evidence will quickly reveal that groups were looking at pictures with different
captions. Have each group hold up their picture so the others can see the difference.

Finally, briefly discuss: What does this show about the power of words to shape our
ideas?

2. Still not sure?
Take a look at some more examples (see How words can change a picture)…

It’s Cool to Be Kind Continued on the next page →

103

Materials needed: Think about what it would feel like to get or see a message that included one of the
pictures with the negative caption. Seeing or hearing negative messages doesn’t
• P ictures of teachers and only hurt the person in the picture. It can make other people who see the picture
staff from your school going uncomfortable too.
through their daily routines.
For 2−3 weeks prior to the When you get the message or photo, what do you do? You always have a choice.
activity, you’ll want to gather You can…
a few digital photos, or assign • C hoose not to share the picture with anyone else, or…
the students to gather them • T ell the sender that you would rather not get messages that are meant to hurt
without revealing the pictures’
role in this activity (always someone, or…
with the subjects’ permission, • S upport the person in the picture by letting them know that you know it isn’t true, or…
of course). • A ll the above.

If that isn’t possible, you You could also send a positive message. Not an answer—just your own positive
could gather age‑appropriate message. Seeing or hearing positive messages supports the person in the picture
pictures from magazines or and can make others feel good and want to post their own positive messages.
news sources.

• O ptional: At least one picture
of every student in the class

• Handout: “Sports images”

• H andout: “How words can
change a picture”

3. Someone at our school
Teacher selects random photo from shuffled set of school staff photos.

Practice creating different kinds of captions. First make up some captions that would
make the person in the photo feel happy or proud. How many different captions can
you think up?

Now let’s talk about funny captions. Is there a difference between writing what’s
funny to you and what might be funny to the person in the photo? Is there a difference
between a joke that’s kind and funny to everyone, and a joke that makes fun of
someone and is only “funny” to a few people?

Write some captions that are examples of what we discussed, then let’s all pick a caption
for each photo that’s both funny and kind—not hurtful to the person in the photo.

Keep practicing using pictures of other people at our school. Did you get any new ideas
about kind things to say by looking at the captions that your classmates wrote?

4. Class collage
Create a collage of pictures of every person in your class, each with a kind caption
written on it.

Takeaway Captions can change what we think—and feel—about a picture and the messages
we think we’re getting. It’s good to think or pause before posting pictures with captions,
to consider how the whole thing might make others feel. And before accepting pictures
and captions that others post, ask, “Who posted this and why?”

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Extension Try this experiment. Distribute a short comic strip in which all the words have been
deleted. Then have every student, working individually, fill in the thought/conversation
bubbles to tell the story they see. Compare the results. Did everyone see the same story
or write the same words? Why not? What does the experiment show about how we use
words to provide context or understand what a picture’s “saying”?

It’s Cool to Be Kind 105

Handout: Lesson 5

Sports images

Awesome! Show Off!

Awesome! Show Off!

106

Handout: Lesson 5

How words can change a picture

Original artwork wins Hot Mess. I discovered a new species Mmm Dinner!
first place. in the world!

Nailed it! Awkward - not even close! Youngest scientist in Nerding out. #lame
the world!

Finally, my own phone! Got my mom’s lame Grew my hair out and WORST. HAIRCUT. EVER!
old phone. :/ donated it to a cancer
patient. <3

It’s Cool to Be Kind 107

Itʼs Cool to Be Kind: Lesson 6

Interland: Kind Kingdom

Vibes of all kinds are contagious, for better or for worse. In the sunniest corner of town, aggressors are running
amok, spreading negativity everywhere. Block and report the aggressors to stop their takeover and be kind to other
Internauts to restore the peaceful nature of this land.

Open a web browser on your desktop or mobile device (e.g., tablet), visit g.co/KindKingdom.

Discussion topics Have your students play Kind Kingdom and use the questions below to prompt further
discussion about the lessons learned in the game. Most students get the most out of
the experience by playing solo, but you can also have students pair up. This may be
especially valuable for younger students.
• W hat scenario in Kind Kingdom do you relate to most and why?
• D escribe a time when youʼve taken action to spread kindness to others online.
• I n what situation would it be appropriate to block someone online?
• I n what situation would it be appropriate to report someoneʼs behavior?
• W hy do you think the character in Kind Kingdom is called an aggressor? Describe this

characterʼs qualities and how his actions affect the game.
• D oes this game change the way you plan to behave toward others? If so, how?

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Notes

It’s Cool to Be Kind 109



When in Doubt, Unit 05: Be Internet Brave
Talk It Out

Defining and encouraging Internet Brave behavior.

Lesson overview Lesson 1 What does it mean to be brave? ML Grades 2−6
Lesson 2 From bystanders to helpers SEL Grades 2−6
Lesson 3 Helpers have options!
Lesson 4.1 Seeing upsetting stuff: What do I do? Grades 2−6
Lesson 4.2 Upsetting stuff online: What do I do? SEL Grades 2−3
Lesson 5.1 What to do about mean stuff on screens SEL Grades 4−6
Lesson 5.2 Handling mean behavior online SEL Grades 2−3
Lesson 6 When to get help SEL Grades 4−6
Lesson 7 Report it online, too
Grades 2−6
Grades 2−6

Themes It’s important that kids understand they’re not on their own when they see content
online that makes them feel uncomfortable—especially if it looks like they or somebody
else could get hurt. First, they should never hesitate to get help from someone they
trust. Second, it’s good for them to know they have options: There are different ways
to be brave and take action.

Goals for students ✓ U nderstand what types of situations call for getting help or talking things out with
a trusted adult.

✓  Consider what options there are for being brave and why bringing adults into the
conversation is important.

Standards ISTE Standards for Educators: 1c, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 6d, 7a
addressed ISTE Standards for Students 2016: 1c, 2b, 3d, 4d, 6a, 7a, 7b, 7c
AASL Learning Standards: I.a.1, I.b.1, I.b.2, I.c.1, I.c.2, I.c.3, I.d.3, I.d.4, II.a.1, II.a.2, II.b.1,
II.b.2, II.b.3, II.c.1, II.c.2, II.d.1, II.d.2, II.d.3, III.a.1, III.a.2, III.a.3, III.b.1, III.c.1, III.c.2, III.d.1,
III.d.2, IV.a.2, IV.b.3, V.a.2, V.a.3, V.c.1, V.c.3, V.d.1, V.d.2, V.d.3, VI.a.1, VI.a.2, VI.a.3, VI.d.1,
VI.d.3

When in Doubt, Talk It Out 111

When in Doubt, Talk It Out
Vocabulary

Lesson 1 Lesson 4
Media: A tool for or means of communicating Refusal skills: Skills children are taught to help
something (an idea, concept, message, information, them avoid unsafe online content or behavior and
etc.). Examples of media: TV, books, newspapers, understand that choosing to refuse what makes
the Internet, the side of a truck, a t‑shirt—whatever them uncomfortable is one form of self‑respect.
has information on it, even just a logo
Lessons 2 and 4
Lesson 2 Trust: Strong belief that something or someone is
Aggressor: The person doing the harassing or reliable, truthful or able
bullying; though sometimes called the “bully,”
bullying prevention experts advise never to label Lessons 2, 4, 6 and 7
people as such Report Abuse: Using a social media service’s online
tools or system to report harassment, bullying, threats
Bullying: Mean or cruel behavior that’s repeated and and other harmful content that typically violates the
meant to hurt someone (physically, emotionally and service’s Terms of Service or Community Standards
or socially) who’s more vulnerable than the aggressor.
Cyberbullying is the digital form of this behavior. Lesson 6
Courageous: Brave; not necessarily fearless, though,
Bystander: A witness to harassment or bullying who because people are especially brave when they’re
recognizes the situation but chooses not to intervene scared or nervous but take positive action anyway

Harassment: A word for many kinds of aggressive Student agency: A step beyond student voice,
or mean behavior, it’s a more general term than agency is the capacity to act or make change;
“bullying”—isn’t necessarily repeated or aimed at including protecting or standing up for oneself and
someone more vulnerable others; often seen as a necessary part of citizenship

Target: The person being bullied or victimized

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When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 1

What does it mean to be brave?

Thinking about how media influences us: Students name someone who’s done something they consider to be brave.
In thinking more deeply about their choice, they’re asked to examine where their ideas about bravery come from and
to talk it out amongst themselves.

Media literacy background for teachers: We all know that people’s thinking can be influenced by media. So to help
students develop their awareness of that, it can really help to “talk it out”—think out loud together about how that
happens. Here are a few important things to keep in mind as you teach this lesson:
• O ur ideas are shaped by everything we see, hear and read.
• We interpret what we see through the lens of our own experiences, so we can take away very different messages

from the very same media.
• W e learn as much (sometimes more) from pictures as from words.
• M edia literacy helps counter stereotypes by helping us become aware of (and challenge) patterns—especially repetition.

For example, if all the heroes we see are male, we might get the idea that men are more likely to be heroes—even if no
one ever actually tells us that women can’t be heroes (absence of information is something to watch out for too).

Goals for students ✓ T hink about what it means to be brave, including what it means to be brave when

we’re online.
✓ I dentify the source(s) of our ideas about what it means to be brave.
✓ L earn the habit of asking: “What are they leaving out?”

Letʼs talk What do you think of being brave, do you think of movie superheroes or firefighters?
Those are great examples, but it’s important to remember that we are able to be
brave too.

Activity Before beginning, post one label in each of 3 corners or areas of the classroom.

Materials needed: 1. Today we’re going to talk about being brave
On a sheet of paper, take a few seconds to write down the name (or job if you don’t
• A sheet of paper and know the name) of someone—real or fictional, living now or from history—who has
something for each done something you think is brave. Don’t show anyone what you’ve written yet.
student to write with
2. Was it easy or difficult to think of someone?
• A whiteboard or other way Stand if you thought it was easy. If it was hard, why do you think so? Do we talk about
to write a list that everyone being brave a lot, or not very often? Where do you usually see or hear about people
can see doing brave things?

• 3 large labels with bold 3. The big reveal
lettering that students can Now you can reveal what person or character you picked by going to the label that
see from 8−10’ away, one for fits the kind of individual you chose.
each category: “A character
in media” (not a real person);
“Someone I know personally”;
“Someone I know about”
(in history or in the news)

When in Doubt, Talk It Out Continued on the next page →

113

So let’s talk. Notice how many of you named a media character or even a real person
that you knew about only through media (like a book or movie). What does that tell you
about where your ideas about what it means to be brave come from?

Media need to make money, and that means they need lots of us to pay attention to
them. They present to us the most dramatic, action‑filled kinds of bravery. So we see
lots of superheroes and first responders and soldiers. Those can be great examples,
but they definitely don’t tell the whole story, right? It’s always smart to ask, “What are
they leaving out?”

So what other examples of bravery are there? Where else have you learned about what
it means to be brave?

4. Revealing more
In the groups you’re in now, talk about the reasons for your choices: What made your
person brave? Were there differences in the types of brave things that real people did
and the brave things that media characters do—if yes, what differences?

After a few minutes for group discussion, bring the class back together and—on the
whiteboard or easel—take notes…

Let’s think about this:
• D id anyone name a person who saved others from physical danger? (Raise your hand

if your answer is “yes” to each question.)
• D id anyone name a person who stood up for someone who was being bullied? Most

people would agree that saving someone from being physically hurt—especially if you
might get hurt yourself—is brave.
• W hat about saving someone from having their feelings hurt—or being kind or
supportive to them if their feelings already were hurt? Is that also brave?
• O r what about reporting something you see that makes you feel super
uncomfortable—when you’re not sure how the adult you report it to would react?
Would you consider that brave too?

Raise your hand if you can tell me about someone who was brave in these other
ways—or if you have another kind of brave behavior you’ve thought of. I’d love to hear
about that.

Optional: Divide the room into three again, but this time divided up into these areas:
a) The person on my paper is female.
b) The person on my paper is male.
c) The person on my paper doesn’t identify as male or female.

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Takeaway When you think of the word “brave,” do you picture a man or boy? A woman or girl?
What does bravery by women/girls look like? Is it different than bravery by men/boys?
Why do you think so?

5. Discuss what it takes to be brave
Look carefully at the list you created about what it takes to be brave. Discuss:
• C an you imagine yourself doing any of the things on the list?
• C an you think of a situation where being kind is brave?
• What about online (or on a phone)—can you think of ways you could be brave online?

Bravery is about taking risks to help people—in all kinds of ways, big and small. Media
can shape the way we think about things like what it means to be brave, but the media
doesn’t always present all the possibilities. So it can help to ask, “What or who are they
leaving out?” When we’re online, we also need to think about taking risks to save people
from having their feelings hurt. We all can choose to be brave in lots of ways.

When in Doubt, Talk It Out 115

When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 2

From bystanders to helpers

Students practice identifying the four roles of a bullying incident (the person who bullies, the target of the bullying,
the bystander, and the helper) and things to do if they witness bullying.

Goals for students ✓ I dentify situations of harassment or bullying online.
✓ E valuate what it means to be a bystander or helper.
✓ L earn specific ways to respond to bullying when you see it.
✓ K now how to behave if you experience harassment.

Letʼs talk Why does kindness matter?
Itʼs important to remember that behind every screen name and online character or
avatar thereʼs a real person with real feelings, and it’s good for us, them and everybody
if we treat them as we would want to be treated. When bullying happens, there are
usually four labels that describe how the people involved handle the situation.
• T hereʼs the aggressor, or person(s) doing the bullying
• T hereʼs also someone being bullied—the target.
• T here are witnesses to what’s going on, usually called bystanders.
• T here are witnesses to what’s going on who try to help the target or turn things

around. And you know what they’re called: helpers, right?

If you find yourself the target of bullying or other bad behavior online, here are some
things you can do:

If Iʼm the target, I can…
• Not respond
• B lock the person
• S tand up for myself (but not retaliate, which can keep the negativity going)
• R eport them—tell my parent, teacher, sibling or someone else I trust, and use the

reporting tools in the app or service to report the post, comment or photo

If you find yourself a bystander when harassment or bullying happens, you have the
power to intervene and report cruel behavior—online as well as offline. Sometimes
bystanders don’t try to stop the bullying or help the target. You can choose to support
the target and take a stand for kindness and positivity, privately or publicly.

If Iʼm the bystander, I can help by…
• F inding a way to be kind to or support the person being targeted privately, in a phone

call, text or direct message
• P ublicly supporting the target by saying something nice about them in response to

a mean comment or post
• I n another kind of public support, getting a bunch of friends to create some kind

comments about the person being targeted (but nothing mean about the aggressor,
because you’re setting an example, not retaliating)

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• C alling out the mean behavior in a comment or reply like “That’s not cool” (remember
to call out the behavior, not the person—if you feel comfortable and safe to do that)

• D eciding not to spread the drama by sharing, reposting or telling people about the
mean post or comment

• R eporting the harassment. Tell someone who can help, like a parent, teacher, or
school counselor.

Activity Possible modification for grades 2−3: The worksheet scenarios may be a lot of reading
for your students to do on their own in groups. So you might read the scenarios to
Materials needed: the class and make it an all‑class discussion. See if the class comes up with the right
• W orksheet: “From bystanders answers (below) before reading them out. (Oh, and remember that if students in Grades
2 and 3 haven’t had experiences described here, they may have older siblings who have
to helpers” (one per student) and might want to talk about that.)

Answers for each scenario on 1. Bystander or Helper?
the worksheet: After discussing the roles above, pass out the worksheet and give students 15 min.
Scenario 1: B, H, B (because to read the three scenarios and categorize each response (if there’s time, have them
not helping the situation), H, H create that 4th scenario together as a class).
Scenario 2: H, B, H, H
Scenario 3: H, H, B, B, H 2. Helpers at school and online
Scenario 4: The answers are Discuss the answers above. Before or at the end of the discussion, ask them if they
all yours! can tell you why it can be nice to have helpers around, at school and online.

3. Discuss
If there’s time, ask your students if any of the responses were hard to categorize and
why. Have a discussion about that.

Takeaway Whether standing up for others, reporting something hurtful, or ignoring something
to keep it from spreading even more, you have a variety of strategies to choose from,
depending on the situation. With a little kindness, anyone can make a huge difference
in turning bad situations around.

When in Doubt, Talk It Out 117

Worksheet: Lesson 2

From bystanders to helpers

So you know now that a bystander can use their kindness superpowers and help someone out who’s being bullied.
Below are 3 examples of online bullying or harassment. Each has a list of responses. Of course there isn’t just one
right way to go (sometimes choosing to go with more than one can really help), but each choice below is about
something either a bystander would do or a helper would do. Read each one and decide which it is, then put a “B”
for “bystander” or an “H” for “helper” in the blank next to the response.

If there’s time, have a class discussion about the ones that seemed to make it harder to decide and why. Another option:
The students may think of a 4th scenario—maybe something that happened at your school. As a class you could come
up with responses that involve helping or just witnessing.

Scenario 1 A friend of yours dropped her phone by the drinking fountain near the school soccer
field. Someone found it and sent a really mean message about another student to
a bunch of people on her soccer team, making it look like your friend sent the mean
message! So you know what “impersonation” means, right? The person who found
your friend’s phone and sent the message was impersonating her, and the person
they targeted told your friend she was a terrible person, even though she wasn’t the
one who sent the mean message. No one knows who actually sent the mean message.
You…

□  feel sad for your friend but do nothing because no one knows who did that mean

thing to her.

□  go find the person the mean message was about, tell them it didn’t come from your

friend and ask them how they feel and whether you can help.

□ s pread the drama by sharing the mean message with other friends.

Note to teacher: Students may find this one challenging, which means they’re smart,
because it is. This is neither pure bystanding nor helping because it’s likely making
things worse. It may well be worth discussing.

□  and your friend get everybody on the soccer team to post compliments about the

person who was targeted.

□ a nd your friend anonymously report the incident to your principal, letting her know

that everybody needs to be talking about good phone security and locking their
phones—maybe even include it in morning announcements!

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Scenario 2 Your teacher created a class blog for Language Arts, giving the class the ability to write,
Scenario 3 edit and post comments. The next day she’s out sick and the substitute doesn’t notice
Scenario 4 that things are going south in the class blog–someone is posting seriously mean
comments about one of the students in the class. You…

□  comment on the comments by saying things like, “This is so not cool” and “I am

’s friend, and this is not true.”

□ i gnore it until your teacher gets back.

□ g et other students to call out the mean comments or post compliments about

the student being targeted.

□  tell the substitute that mean behavior is happening in the class blog, and they

might want to let the teacher know.

There’s an online game that a bunch of your friends play a lot. Usually game chat is
mostly about what’s happening in the game. Sometimes it gets a little nasty, though
that’s usually more like friendly rivalry than anything really bad. But this one time, one
player starts saying really nasty stuff about one of your friends who’s playing, and they
just won’t stop. They even keep it up the next day. You…

□  call up your friend and tell them you don’t like this anymore than they do and ask

them what they think you two should do.

□  call everybody you know who plays with you guys (making sure your friend knows

you’re doing this) to see if you can get everybody’s agreement that it’s time to call
out the nastiness.

□  decide to wait and see if the kid stops, then maybe do something.

□  walk away from the game for a while.

□ l ook for the game’s community rules and if bullying isn’t allowed, report the mean

behavior in the game’s reporting system.

Create a real-life scenario as a class, based on a situation one of you has heard about,
then come up with both bystander and upstander responses to show you definitely
know what we’re talking about now!

When in Doubt, Talk It Out 119

When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 3

Helpers have options!

Often students want to help out a target of bullying but don’t know what to do. This activity shows them that they have
choices, offers examples, and gives them an opportunity to create positive responses of their own.

Goals for students ✓ S ee that being a helper is a choice.
✓  Learn there are different ways to step in and be a helper in a specific situation.
✓ C hoose how to respond using different options that feel safe and appropriate to you.
✓ C reate your own response to the situation.

Letʼs talk When you see someone being mean to another person online—making them feel
embarrassed or left out, making fun of them, disrespecting them, hurting their feelings,
etc.—you always have choices. First, you can choose to be a helper instead of a
bystander by helping the target. Second, if you choose to be a helper, you have options
for what kind of action you take.

The most important thing to know is that it can really help someone being targeted
just to be heard if they feel bad—and to know that someone cares.

Now, not everybody feels comfortable standing up for others publicly, whether online
or in the school lunchroom. If you do, go for it! You can…
• C all out the mean behavior (not the person) right when it happens, saying it’s not cool
• S ay something nice about the target later, in a post or comment
• G et friends to compliment the target online too.
• O ffline, you can invite the person to hang out with you on the playground or sit with

you at lunch

If you don’t feel comfortable helping out publicly, that’s fine. You can also support the
target privately. You can…
• A sk how they’re doing in a text or DM (direct message)
• S ay something kind or complimentary in an anonymous post, comment, or direct

message (if you’re using media that lets you stay anonymous)
• T alk to them quietly in the hall and tell them you’re there for them if they want to talk

after school or on the phone
• T ell them you thought the mean behavior was wrong and ask if they feel like talking

about what happened

No matter how you choose to be a helper, you also have both public and private options
for reporting what you saw. This could mean reporting bullying behavior via a website
or app, or it could mean reporting what’s going on to an adult who you know will make
the situation better, especially for the target.

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Activity Possible modification for grades 2−3: The worksheet scenarios may be a bit too much
reading for your students to do on their own in groups. So you might read the scenarios
Materials needed: to the class, then let the groups create their responses.
• A whiteboard or easel with
In this activity, we’re going to try out what it’s like to be a helper, so let’s assume our
large white pad on which whole class has made the choice to help out the target.
students can stick sticky
notes 1. Divide into groups of five students per group
• H andout: “Helpers have Each group should pick one member to be a reader and one to be a writer.
options!”(one per student
or at least one per group) 2. Groups read and discuss the hurtful situations together
• S ticky notes for each group The three situations are provided in the worksheet on the next page.
of students
While groups are discussing, the teacher divides the whiteboard or easel into two large
spaces with the headlines “Public Support” and “Private Support.”

3. Groups choose or create their two kinds of responses for each
Students can work with the sample responses in “Let’s talk” or create their own.

4. Students post their choices to the board and read out loud to the whole class
The teacher can then facilitate a class discussion based on the choices the students
made.

Takeaway Lots of times when you see somebody being hurt or harassed, you want to help but you
don’t always know what to do. You now know many ways to help the target—and that
you definitely have options for supporting them in ways that you’re comfortable with.
You have the power to help people in a way that works for you!

When in Doubt, Talk It Out 121

Worksheet: Lesson 3

Helpers have options!

Now that you’re in your groups, each group gets to decide how you want to be a helper. Ask for one volunteer in your
group to be a writer (on the sticky notes) and one to be a reader. The reader reads the first situation out loud and then
the groups take five minutes for each situation to discuss and decide how you’d support the target publicly and how
you’d support them privately. The writer writes your decisions on two sticky notes and sticks one note in the Public
column and one note in the Private column on the whiteboard. To make your decision, use the ideas the class just
discussed together OR make up your own way to help the target. Repeat that process for Situation 2 and Situation 3.

Note: There’s not just one right way to support a target because each person (whether target or bystander) is different
and each situation is different. We’re just trying out different helper options.

Situation 1 A student posts a video of themselves singing a cover to a famous pop artist’s song.
Situation 2 Other students start posting mean comments under the video. What do you do to
Situation 3 support the student who posted the video? Work with some of the ideas on the
previous page or agree on your group’s own response.

A student sends another student a screenshot of a comment your friend posted and
makes a nasty joke about it. The screenshot gets reposted and goes viral at school.
What will you do to support the student whose comment was screenshotted and
shared? Choose one of the ideas we just discussed as a class—or decide on your
own response.

You find out that a student at your school created a fake social media account using
another student’s name and posts photos and memes that say mean things about
other students, teachers, and the school. What do you decide to do to support the
student who’s being impersonated in this mean way? Consider the ideas on the
previous page or come up with your own response.

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When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 4.1

Seeing upsetting stuff: What do I do?

Students learn that if they see pictures or videos that they find upsetting they should trust their feelings, refuse to
watch more and talk about what they saw with an adult they trust.

A special note for educators: Because children in lower elementary grades tend to be online less than their older
peers, this activity is about helping younger kids deal with upsetting images or messages they might encounter
anywhere. If a child does run into upsetting content or communication online and reports that to you privately later,
follow these steps:
1. Thank them for telling you and reassure them that they did the right thing in coming to you.
2. Listen to their report and believe what they say. If you feel comfortable, you can gently ask for more details, but

don’t push. In this situation, your job is to listen, not be an investigator.
3. I f the child indicates the content has been shared by an adult or that any inappropriate contact is involved, report

what you’ve heard to your school administrator, understanding the sensitivity of this information and the primary
importance of caring for the child.
4. M ake sure the administrator follows through.

Goals for students ✓ R ecognize upsetting content.
✓  U nderstand what to do when they encounter it.
✓  C reate a plan for talking about what upset them with a trusted adult.

Letʼs talk Looking at pictures or watching videos on a phone, tablet or computer can be a lot of
fun. Tap your head if you ever look at pictures or videos on a phone, tablet or computer.
[Note number of tapped heads.]
• Who do you look at these things with? (“Family.” “Friends.” “Classmates.”)
• What are some of your favorite things to watch? (Various answers.)
• How do you feel when you watch these? (“Excited.” “Happy.” “Relaxed.”)

Pictures and videos aren’t always fun to watch. Snap your fingers if you’ve ever had
to look at something that was boring. Or confusing. Or scary. [Note snaps.]

Think about a time you felt really upset—I’m not talking about on a tablet or TV screen,
just any time you felt upset. You don’t need to say what happened. I’ll give you some
examples of how bodies can feel when people are upset. Raise your hand when
you hear how your body felt when you were upset. [Pause after naming each body
sensation…] Hot face. Racing heart. Sweaty palms. Sick stomach. Fast Breathing.
You feel those feelings in your body, right?

Now snap your fingers if you’ve ever seen a picture or video that’s made you feel upset.
[Note snaps.] This activity will help you know what to do if you see pictures or videos
that make you feel upset.

When in Doubt, Talk It Out Continued on the next page →

123

Activity If someone shows you a picture or video that makes you feel upset, you can refuse to
watch. That’s called growing your refusal skills, and that’s important.
Materials needed:
• Calm music So what are some words you can use to refuse an uncomfortable picture or video?
• S cenarios (next page) (“Please stop.” “I don’t like that.” “I don’t want to watch this.”) [Write down students’
ideas on the board. ]
• T urn to your neighbor and practice saying one of these phrases. Use a strong,

respectful voice.
Give students a chance to practice two or three different phrases.
• W hat can make it hard to refuse? (“If the other person won’t listen.” “If they keep
showing you similar things.” “If you’re afraid or embarrassed to refuse.” “If the
other person is older.”)

This is a really important way you can be brave (referring to Lesson 1).

Sometimes, you might accidentally see something upsetting when you’re using a
phone, tablet or computer by yourself. Tap your head if this has ever happened to you.
[Note the heads tapped.]
•  What should you do if you accidentally see something like this? (“Close it.” “Turn it

off.”)
•  What if somebody showed it to you? (“I don’t want to watch that.” “That makes me

feel bad.”)

If you can’t or don’t want to refuse, you can report what happened to an adult you trust.
Adults will help take care of you and keep you safe. Who are some adults you trust?
(Various answers.) When you report to an adult, remember to be assertive. Tell them
what happened and use a strong respectful voice.

Now we’re going to practice reporting to an adult.

Musical Reporting
1. E xplain the rules to the class:

A. “I’ll read a scenario.”
B. “I’ll play music for 30 seconds.”
C. “ While the music is playing, walk around and think about what you’d say while

reporting the scenario to an adult.”
D. “When the music stops, find a partner and practice reporting with them.”

2. Choose a scenario and start the music.

3. Stop the music.

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Scenarios 4. L isten to students as they practice. Choose one pair of students to demonstrate
Takeaway what they said for the class.

5. C all on a few other students at random to tell the class what they’d do in this
situation.

6. Repeat steps 2−5 for other scenarios, as time allows.

Scenario 1: Someone shows you clips from a comedy show she thinks is funny, but it
makes you uncomfortable.

Scenario 2: Your sibling shows you videos of car crashes. They think it’s funny when
you say “stop.”

Scenario 3: One of your family members is always playing games with lots of shooting
in them. You liked it at first, but it’s starting to bother you.

Scenario 4: You’re playing a game with a couple other people, and you see one of them
being really mean to the other player.

Scenario 5: Your cousin’s hanging out at your house and you’re watching videos
together. They start watching a video that has naked people in it.

You might see things in your life offline and online that make you uncomfortable. If you
do not feel good about something you see, try and use your words to refuse them. Also,
always report what you saw to an adult so they can help everyone stay safe.

When in Doubt, Talk It Out 125

When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 4.2

Upsetting stuff online: What do I do?

Students learn to identify inappropriate online content and strategies for refusing it. Students also learn about
reporting any content that suggests someone has or is about to hurt themselves or others.

A special note for educators: If during or after this activity a student tells you about an instance of bullying, harassment,
abuse, threats of violence or even suicidal ideation, that is usually a sign of trust, and it’s very important that you honor
that trust. Research suggests that students will often report sensitive information to an adult only one time. If that first
report doesn’t result in their feeling helped, students will not try again.

If a child does report something serious to you, follow these steps:
1. T hank the student for being so brave and let them know you will talk with them more privately as soon as possible.
2. O nce you meet with them privately, thank them again and reassure them you will help keep them safe—or, if they’re

reporting about someone else—make sure that person gets the help they need.
3. L isten to their report and believe what they say. If you feel comfortable, you can gently ask for more details, but

don’t push. It’s your job to listen, not be an investigator. If it’s serious, report what you’ve heard to your school
administrator and make sure they follow through.

Goals for students ✓ R ecognize upsetting content
✓  Understand they can refuse to watch or engage with it
✓ L earn some strategies for refusing it
✓ P ractice the strategies, including reporting to an adult

Letʼs talk This activity will help you handle situations where people do, say or show you things
online that make you upset or scared.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen content, comments or behavior online that made
you upset—it could be text, photos or video. [Note number of hands.]

Write this sentence on the board and have your students copy it and fill in the blank:

“Something that upset me online was .” On a piece of paper, write

some examples that fill in the blank in this sentence on the board.

As students are writing, walk around and look at their answers. Ask a few students if
they’re willing to share their answers with the class.

You have the same right to feel as safe and comfortable online as you do here at
school. You get to decide what you watch and who you talk with online. You can refuse
to see anything that makes you upset. What this activity is all about is growing your
refusal skills—skills everybody needs to have.

So what are some ways you can refuse upsetting things?
See if they come up with some of these examples: “Turn off your device.” “Delete things
people send you.” “Block or remove senders.” “Tell them you don’t like whatever it is.”

126

Make sure they hear all of these options. Encourage students to share specifics of how
they can refuse content on different platforms. This will also be a chance for you to learn
more, for future discussions, about your students’ experiences online. To maximize trust
and communication, try to remain judgment‑free.

Sometimes a person will keep doing things that upset you, or you’ll still feel upset
about something even after it’s gone. Sometimes you might not know how to handle
a situation—which is just fine. A lot of adults don’t know how to handle some situations
too. What could you do in this situation?
See if they come up with this on their own: “Get help from an adult I trust.”

Remember, just because you refuse doesn’t mean you can’t also report the content or
the behavior. You can definitely do both.

If you need help and report what happened to an adult but they can’t help you, what
should you do? (“Find another adult to report to.”) I know reporting isn’t always easy.
Experts say students often report things only once. So I want to tell you: Keep reporting
until you find an adult who really helps you.

Who are some adults here at school you trust to help you? (Various answers.) There are
lots of adults here who you can talk to if you need help.

Now we’re going to practice refusing and reporting unwanted, upsetting or scary things.

Activity 1. Place the two signs on opposite sides of the room.

Materials needed: 2. Choose a scenario from the list and read it to the class, or create a relevant scenario
• S cenarios (next page) of your own.
• O ne piece of paper with the
3. Ask students to think about whether they’d refuse the scenario themselves or report
word “Refuse” on it what happened to an adult and ask for help.
• A nother piece of paper with
4. Have students move to the side of the room corresponding to what they’d do.
the word “Report” on it.
5. Have each group discuss what they’d say or do when refusing or reporting and why.

6. Call on one student from each group to demonstrate reporting and refusing.

7. Repeat with another scenario, as time allows.

When in Doubt, Talk It Out Continued on the next page →

127

Scenarios Scenario 1: A friend of yours keeps using bad language in chats.
Takeaway Scenario 2: You keep seeing sexist statements in a comment thread.
Scenario 3: Someone makes fun of a photo you’re in.
Scenario 4: Someone says something really racist about you.
Scenario 5: Someone asks you to send them a picture of you naked.
Scenario 6: You see a post saying someone is going to bring a gun to school.

You might see things online that are just plain scary—like someone saying they’re going
to do something that might hurt themselves or someone else. In these situations, tell
an adult right away so they can help everyone stay safe.

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When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 5.1

What to do about mean stuff on screens

Students practice what to do the next time they see or hear something upsetting in a video, online game or TV show.

Goals for students ✓ U nderstand it’s okay to feel scared or sad when you see something upsetting on

(or off) a screen.
✓ K now they can refuse to watch upsetting things in a show, game or video.
✓ U nderstand how to refuse disturbing content.
✓ I dentify who they can talk to if they see something upsetting.

Letʼs talk What are some of your favorite TV shows or online videos? [Call on volunteers to share.]
Why do you like these shows? (“They’re funny.” “They have lots of action, adventure,
When in Doubt, Talk It Out etc.”) What emotions do you feel when you watch them? (“Happy.” “Excited.”)

We usually like to watch TV shows or videos because they’re entertaining, right?
Who knows what the word “entertaining” means? [Call on volunteers to share.]

When a show is entertaining, it makes you feel good and you enjoy watching it. Maybe
it makes you laugh or just chill out, or you’re interested because you’re learning
something new, or it’s super exciting and you can’t wait to see what happens next.

But sometimes a show might not be entertaining because people or animals are really
getting hurt, someone’s really mean or scary or something’s making you feel nervous
or sad. Can anyone tell me about a video or show that they didn’t think was entertaining
and why? [Call on volunteers to share.]

Today we’re going to practice what you can do the next time you see or hear something
upsetting on TV or the Internet.
• I f you’re watching a TV show or video by yourself and you see or hear something

upsetting, you can turn it off. [Write “Turn it off” on the board.]
• I f you’re still upset after you turn it off, find an adult you trust to talk to about what

you saw and how it made you feel. [Write “Talk to a trusted adult” on the board.]
• W ho is a trusted adult you could talk to? [Write students’ ideas under “Trusted Adult”

on the board.] (Possible Answers: Mom, Dad, caregiver, teacher, etc.)
• I f you’re watching a TV show or online video with friends or family and you see or

hear something upsetting, you can speak up and say how you feel. [Write “Speak Up”
on the board.]
• F or example, you could say, “This show is scary. Let’s watch something else.”
What are some other things you could say? [Write students’ ideas on the board under
“Speak Up.] (Possible Answers: “I don’t want to watch this because it makes me
upset”; “Let’s watch something we both like.”)

If you speak up and someone keeps showing you things you don’t like, you can always

leave the room and tell a trusted adult.

Continued on the next page →

129

Activity Let’s practice speaking up when you see or hear something upsetting on TV or in a
Scenarios game or video and talking to an adult you trust. [Help students pair up.]

Takeaway I’m going to read a scenario, and you’re going to take turns with your partner practicing
what you would do in that situation. Let’s do the first one together.
130
Choose a scenario from the list below and have students work with their partners to
decide how they would respond. After a few moments, call on volunteers to share.
Continue working through the scenarios as time allows.

Scenario 1: You’re watching an online video with a family member. The person in the
video is using swear words and saying mean things that upset you. You decide to
speak up. What do you say? [Turn and tell your partner what you would say.]

Scenario 2: You’re watching a new TV show alone. You’re halfway through the first
episode when something super scary happens. Argh! You can’t get it out of your mind,
and now you’re convinced it could happen to you. You decide to turn off the show
and tell a trusted adult. [Turn and tell your partner who you would tell and what you
would say.]

Scenario 3: You’re watching online videos with your friends. One friend shows a video
with naked people in it. You feel upset. You don’t know how your friends feel, but you
don’t want to watch the video anymore. You decide to speak up. [Turn and tell a partner
what you would say.]

Scenario 4: You’re playing a multiplayer game online when you see one player
intentionally messing up what other players are doing. Someone asks him to stop and
he just laughs. [Turn and tell a partner what you would say.]

Scenario 5: Your cousins are playing video games with lots of shooting in them. There’s
lots of people getting hurt. You ask them to play something else, but they ignore you.
[Turn and tell a partner what you would do.]

Scenario 6: You’re at a friend’s house and you overhear a news story on TV that makes
you feel really sad. When you get home, you decide to talk to a grownup you trust.
[Turn and tell your partner who you would tell and what you would say.]

If a game, video or TV show makes you feel upset, it’s okay not to watch it. Now you
know how:
• I f you’re alone, turn it off.
• I f you’re still upset, talk to an adult you trust.
• I f someone is showing it to you, speak up and say how you feel.
• I f you speak up and they keep showing it to, just leave and/or tell that person you trust.

When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 5.2

Handling mean behavior online

Students learn that behavior, kind or mean, is just behavior—whether online or offline. They explore ways to handle the
mean kind so they can avoid contributing to the drama and escalating conflict.

Goals for students ✓  Recognize how mean behavior online can lead to conflicts at school.
✓ I dentify ways to avoid escalating conflicts online.

Letʼs talk What are some reasons people act mean to each other online? (“Gossip.” “Disrespect.”
“Misunderstandings.” “Being mean.”)
When in Doubt, Talk It Out
People can get into conflicts online for a lot of different reasons. We can avoid a lot
of nastiness just by trying to show kindness to others—or just not getting involved.
Sometimes it’s a spillover from something that happened at school. Other times,
though, people just say or do mean things out of the blue. Snap your fingers if you’ve
ever seen or heard of someone doing any of these mean things: [Note snaps.]
• P osting disrespectful comments on photos or videos
• S preading gossip or lies about someone else
• P retending to be someone else in order to get them in trouble
• Name calling
• U sing racist or homophobic language

Raise your hand if anyone’s ever been mean to you online. [Note the number of hands.]
• H ow might you feel if someone said or did something mean to you online? (“Angry.”

“Furious.” “Sad.” “Upset.”)
• Do you think you’d ever be tempted to get back at them? (“Yes.” “No.”)

It’s natural to feel angry when you think someone’s done something mean. The urge to
get back at them can be very strong. Think about what the consequences might be for
trying to get back at someone. [Give students time to think.] Turn and tell your neighbor
your ideas. [After a minute, call on a few students at random to report.] (“Start a big
fight.” “Drama.” “Get lots of people involved.” “Get in trouble.”)

Responding to mean behavior with more mean behavior is a common way conflicts
start or spread online. What are some other ways you could respond to mean behavior
that wouldn’t cause a conflict? (“Ignore it.” “Tell the person to stop.” “Block or remove
the person.”)

When you’re angry or upset, it can be easy to say or do something mean to the other
person. It’s important to calm down before you do anything else. One strategy for
calming down is taking a few slow, deep breaths.

Have the class practice taking a few slow, deep breaths together.

Continued on the next page →

131

What are some other strategies you’ve used to calm down when you’re angry or upset?
(“Count backwards.” “Tell myself not to worry.” “Think about something happy.”)

How would you feel if you saw someone being mean to someone else online? (“Mad.”
“Worried it could happen to me.” “Upset.” “Amused.”)
•  When people who see mean behavior don’t say anything, or they laugh or join in, what

happens? (“They’re encouraging more mean behavior.” “They’re making people feel
unwelcome.” “They’re being mean themselves.”)
• W hen people stand up to mean behavior, what can happen? (“People will realize it’s
not okay.” “People will be kinder and more respectful.”)

Snap your fingers if you’ve ever helped someone who was being treated meanly?
[Note the number of snaps. Call on a few students to tell their stories of helping others.]
How does it feel to help someone? (“It feels good.”)

What should you do if you don’t feel comfortable or safe standing up to mean behavior
you see? (“Get help from an adult.”)

Now we’re going to practice ways to respond to mean behavior we see online.

Activity 1. Have students get in groups of 3−4 and give each group a worksheet.

2. Have each group complete Section A of the worksheet.

Materials needed: 3. Have groups trade worksheets.
4. Have each group complete Section B of their new worksheet.
• W orksheet: “Handling mean 5. Call on each group to tell the class what they came up with.
behavior online” (one per
group of 3−4 students)

Takeaway When you encounter mean behavior online, it’s important to respond appropriately.
If you try to get back by responding with mean behavior of your own, you can start a
conflict or make something that started at school even worse—online or at school.
If you take a moment to calm down and then respond in another way, you can avoid
conflict.

If someone ever keeps being mean to you and you don’t know how to make them stop,
you should get help from an adult.

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Worksheet: Lesson 5.2

Handling mean behavior online

Section A Write down one situation you might encounter where someone is being mean online.

Section B How would you respond if this happened to you?

Why would you respond this way?

How would you respond if you saw this happening to someone else?

Why would you respond this way? 133

When in Doubt, Talk It Out

When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 6

When to get help

One piece of advice that appears consistently throughout these lessons is: If students come across something that
makes them feel uncomfortable or worse, encourage them to report it—be brave and talk to someone they trust who
can help, including you, the principal, or a parent. Students should pick this up from any one of the lessons but, just to
be sure, here’s a class discussion focused specifically on the “when in doubt, talk it out” principle. Below you’ll find a
list of situations in which talking it out can really help.

Important notes for educators:
1. C hildren have been taught or conditioned not to “tattle” for so many generations that it has become a social norm,

and bullying prevention experts have been working hard to help children understand the difference between “telling”
(tattling) and getting help. Help your students see that seeking support when hurtful things happen online is not
“tattling;” it’s about getting help for themselves or peers when people are getting hurt.
2. F ostering open communication in your classroom and reminding students you’re always there for backup, supports
students’ agency and appropriate reporting.
3. I n the discussion below, any time students share about times they sought adult help, be sure the tone of the
conversation is one that makes them feel proud and brave to have taken action, especially since they’re speaking
up in front of peers.

Goals for students ✓ R ecognize that seeking help for oneself or others is a sign of strength.
✓  Think out loud together about situations where talking it out can really help.

Letʼs talk Here’s a whole list of situations you might run into online. We may not get through them
all, because I hope you’ll raise your hands when something on the list reminds you of a
situation you’ve been in and what you did about it, so we can talk those situations out
together.

Activity Please take a look at the scenarios below to complete the activity.

Materials needed: Note to school leaders: Having a student panel or group of student leaders in your
• H andout (select based on school (or a middle/high school in your district) mentor younger students about
online situations like these can be a very effective way to teach, engage and empower
grade, one per student): younger students. If you already have a peer mentoring group at your school, have the
- Scenarios for Grades 2−3 mentors walk through the above scenarios with younger students and share their own
- Scenarios for Grades 4−6 experiences in navigating them.

Takeaway It may not always seem like it, but being able to ask for help when you’re not sure what
to do is a brave thing to do. If it’s to help you or someone heal something hurtful or stop
harm from happening, it’s both smart and courageous.

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Handout: Lesson 6

Scenarios for Grades 2-3

1. S ilently read the list to yourselves. While you do, think about whether any of those situations happened to you,
whether you wanted to ask an adult for help in any of them and if you did or not.

2. R aise your hand if you want to tell us what you did (or didn’t do) and why. If someone already picked one, see
if you have a different one we can talk about.

3. Let’s discuss those situations.

Scenarios Scenario 1: You need help remembering a password. [Ask a parent or older relative
to help you go through the steps to create a new one.]

Scenario 2: Another gamer really likes your skin and offers to pay you game money
for it—how do you decide?

Scenario 3: You see some really mean behavior in a video and aren’t sure what to do
about it.

Scenario 4: Another gamer asks you how old you are and where you live—do you tell
them?

Scenario 5: A friend shows you a video that’s really violent—someone gets hurt in it.
What do you do?

Scenario 6: You want to do something about a comment you see online that’s super
mean. What do you do?

Scenario 7: Someone on the playground starts making fun of another kid because
they don’t have a phone, and the kid is really sad. What do you do about that?

Scenario 8: You’re watching a video of cartoon characters and all of a sudden
something really scary pops up in the middle of it.

When in Doubt, Talk It Out 135

Handout: Lesson 6

Scenarios for Grades 4-6

1. S ilently read the list to yourselves. While you do, think about whether any of those situations happened to you,
whether you wanted to ask an adult for help in any of them and if you did or not.

2. R aise your hand if you want to tell us what you did (or didn’t do) and why. If someone already picked one, see
if you have a different one we can talk about.

3. Let’s discuss those situations.

Scenarios Scenario 1: You have this feeling someone hacked into your account. What can you
do to take back control? [Go to the app’s or site’s Help section, and go through the
steps they have for showing them you’re the owner, then log in and change your
password—and not share it with anyone but a parent.]

Scenario 2: You’re unsure if something was a scam and think you might have fallen
for one.

Scenario 3: Another gamer starts asking you stuff that has nothing to do with the
game and it’s kind of cringey—do you answer them?

Scenario 4: You hear someone being really racist in game chat.

Scenario 5: You’re concerned you may have shared something online you shouldn’t
have (only tell us what it was if you feel comfortable sharing that, but even if you
don’t, tell us what you did about it).

Scenario 6: You saw someone threatening to start a fight or harm someone.

Scenario 7: Someone is posting really bad stuff about themselves online, and it
makes you worry about them.

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When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Lesson 7

Report it online, too

Using a school device to demonstrate where to go to report inappropriate content and behavior in apps, the class
considers various types of content, decides whether to report it, and talks about why or why not.

Goals for students ✓ K now about apps’ and services’ community standards, or terms of service.
✓ B e aware of online tools for reporting abuse.
✓ C onsider when to use them.
✓ T alk about why and when to report the abuse.

Letʼs talk When meanness and other inappropriate content turn up online, people have options
for taking action. In the last activity we talked about the most important one: talking
it out with someone you trust. That can help you figure out the best ways to help.
Another option is to report it to the app or service where you find it, which can help
get the content deleted. It’s important to get used to checking apps’ terms of service
or community rules and using their reporting tools.

Students should get in the habit of taking a screenshot of conversation or activity
that’s harmful or suspicious before using blocking and reporting tools (which could
make a record of the activity go away). This ensures that trusted adults can see what
happened and help resolve this situation.

Activity 1. Look for community rules. Grab as many devices as your class has access to.
If there are several, divide the class into groups. Together, find the terms of service in
at least 3 school‑related accounts and look for a rule about harassment or bullying.

Materials needed: 2. Figure out how to report a problem. Find the apps’ or sites’ tools for reporting
inappropriate content or behavior. (If there’s only one device or computer in the
• W orksheet: “Report it online, room, have groups of students take turns at that screen.)
too” (one per student)
3.Go through the scenarios. Everyone sits down and, as a class, goes through the
situations on the worksheet on the next page.

4. Would you report it? Ask students to raise their hands if they would report the
content; then ask them to raise their hands if they wouldn’t report it.

5. If so, why? Ask someone who would report it to tell the class why, and ask someone
who wouldn’t report it to do the same.

Note: Seldom is there just one right answer or approach. Make sure everybody knows
this before class discussion begins.

Takeaway Most apps and services have tools for reporting and/or blocking inappropriate content,
and it can help the people involved, their community, and the platforms themselves if
When in Doubt, Talk It Out we use those tools. Before blocking or reporting inappropriate content, it’s always wise
to take a screenshot so that you have a record of the situation.

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Worksheet: Lesson 7

Report it online, too

Read each scenario below and raise your hand if you’d report it in the app or service where you found it. Ask for
someone who would and someone who wouldn’t raise their hand and explain why they chose that option, then
discuss those choices as a class. (Everybody should know that there is seldom one right choice to make, which is
why discussion is helpful. No one should feel bad about what they chose to do. Even adults don’t always know when
or how to report.)

Situation 1 Another student posts a group photo in a public account, and you hate the way you look
Situation 2 in it. Would you report that photo or not? If you know who posted it, would you talk with
Situation 3 the person and ask them to take it down? How can you respond?
Situation 4
Situation 5 Someone creates an account of a student you know using their name and photo. They
Situation 6 turned the photo into a meme and drew a moustache and other weird facial features on
Situation 7 it, turning the photo into a joke. Would you report the account?

Someone posts lots of mean comments about a student in your school without
using their name, but you have a feeling you know who it is. Would you report those
comments or not and, if you would, how?

A student creates an account with your school’s name in the screen name and posts
students’ photos with comments that everybody hears about. Some of the comments
are mean to students, some are compliments. Do you report the mean comments, the
whole account, or both?

One night, you notice that a student has made a comment online saying they’re
going to fight with another student in the lunchroom the next day. Do you report that
comment online or not? Do you report it to a teacher or principal the next morning or
not? Both?

You’re watching a cartoon video and all of a sudden there’s some weird content in it
that’s definitely not appropriate for kids and makes you feel uncomfortable. Do you
report it or not?

You’re playing an online game with friends and someone none of the players know
starts chatting with you. They’re not being mean or anything, but you don’t know them.
Do you ignore them or report them?

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